A Library of Classroom Practices

The most important thing for teachers of Arabic who are teaching at K–12 is how to create a learner-centered classroom.

- Mahmoud Al-Batal, University of Texas

About This Collection

This collection of videos illustrates best practices for K–12 Arabic-language instruction. The videos demonstrate what good teaching looks like, highlighting many of the effective practices that real teachers use. The videos provide examples of successful methods and styles used by teachers in classrooms like yours. The seven videos feature teachers from different backgrounds in regions across the country. Elementary, middle, and high school classes are all represented, in both public and public charter schools.

The videos address some of the greatest needs identified by teachers in the areas of differentiated instruction; using a learner-centered approach; and integrating instruction of culture, content, and language. Support materials with each video provide insights into lesson design, prompts to connect video content to your teaching, and resources to help teachers develop their own lessons, classroom activities, and teaching materials for a range of student competency levels.

Teaching Arabic Overview Video

To begin, watch the “Teaching Arabic Overview” video, which includes excerpts from the lesson videos that capture the range of teaching practices shown in the collection. You will also see reflections from teachers, students, and experts in the field that frame the issues faced by Arabic-language programs.

Classroom Videos

After watching the overview video, explore the seven classroom lessons in the Arabic collection.

"People Who Help Us"
Khamael Alaloom introduces her first-grade class to people who help in the community. This lesson is designed around the School and Global Communities standard and features vocabulary-building activities.

"Vegetables We Like"
Rita Lahoud’s second-grade students draw pictures of vegetables they like and don’t like and present their work to their classmates. The lesson highlights how the teacher manages a classroom of young learners, keeps students in the target language, and connects art-based lesson content with language goals.

"Comparing the Weather"
Wael Fawzy’s sixth graders compare the weather in Arab countries with weather where they live. Students practice speaking and writing using Modern Standard Arabic infused with dialects.

"How We Spend Our Free Time"
Katie Quackenbush’s eighth-grade students practice asking and answering questions using “you” and “I.” The student-led lesson facilitates language production yet allows students of different abilities to work at their own pace.

"A Place I Call Home"
Manar Mayalah’s high school students learn vocabulary used to describe different features of a house and interview one another about their own dream houses. The lesson features carefully sequenced activities that promote student learning, as well as visual elements that promote cultural learning.

"Making Sales Calls"
Eric Bartolotti’s high school students practice using basic greetings and expressing likes and dislikes through a role-playing activity. The lesson design facilitates language production and supports students of differing abilities.

"Making Plans"
Belal Joundeya’s high school students engage in authentic conversations about what they will be doing in the future. Classroom activities emphasize the Interpersonal Communication mode, and the lesson progresses from heavily guided practice to independent practice.